To Leatt Brace or Not to Leatt Brace? That is the Question.

[desarc]

Do you guys use neck braces or rolls?

My husband wants to get leatt braces, as we have been riding more and more track lately and he thinks it will be a good precaution in case we case/over-shoot a jump or otherwise eat dirt. I was convinced, albeit the price, because safety is safety. But after talking to some people I'm very confused. Some guys hate the Alpine Stars models, and swear by Leatt. Others say the Alpine Star models are superior. Others are saying they can cause more injuries than they prevent, ie: collar bone injuries. So what say you? Do you think we are all better off with or without these things, and if you use one, which ones do you like best?

Thanks!

[customss]

you are asking for a lot of rude replies because this topic is exhausted. try the search feature, you will find a ton of posts on neck braces

[coktm]

You will get a lot of opinions on this topic but there is little factual data. Some say they offer added safety, others say they can cause more injuries. I have been wearing a Leatt for several years now and I like what I believe is added protection. I barely notice I am wearing it and I do believe it limits neck movement in a crash. I wear mine with a chest protector and do not need any straps to hold it in place. They are expensive and I believe they are worth the price. Just one opinion though!

CoKTM

[Tony477g]

I have the answer https://www.thumpertalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

[pieplatesnductape]

I wear a neck device because Id hate to second guess myself in the event of a serious injury. If it were to happen while wearing a neck device, what some consider an effective piece of safety equipment, then at least Id know that I was using the best available equipment within reason. (They do make airbag suits..)

Its a big debate, days worth of reading in here on this.

[desarc]

@customss: Sorry for the re-post but searching "leatt", "leatt brace", and "neck brace" yielded nothing for me so... here we are.

@Tony477g: Thank you for the link, but I am getting an error when I try to pull it up.

@pieplatesnductape & @coktm: Thanks for the feedback. I also tend to think that if they are worn properly they will do their job. Otherwise, I assume more people would complain and/or sue over serious injury. I assume the braces are designed to break before your collar bone does, so the stories I'm hearing are probably exaggerated at best.

[Tony477g]

@customss: Sorry for the re-post but searching "leatt", "leatt brace", and "neck brace" yielded nothing for me so... here we are.

@Tony477g: Thank you for the link, but I am getting an error when I try to pull it up.

@pieplatesnductape & @coktm: Thanks for the feedback. I also tend to think that if they are worn properly they will do their job. Otherwise, I assume more people would complain and/or sue over serious injury. I assume the braces are designed to break before your collar bone does, so the stories I'm hearing are probably exaggerated at best.

Sorry try this one https://www.thumpertalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&search_in=forums

Point being if you havent found any threads already about the leatt, you either didnt look or your not looking hard enough. It seriously gets discussed every week and they always turn into pissing matches between if you should wear one or not

[tribalbc]

Here's one

https://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/938992-dungey-no-neck-brace/page__fromsearch__1

[DTA HONDA]

I wear a leatt. Most people say they do worse than good. But there's no proof on either side.

The first few times i wore mine i got a pretty bad concussion on a triple. It kicked me bad and i was knocked out for almost a minute. I always wear it, i feel naked without one.

[kawazuki250]

I wear a Leatt, beacuse i got a good deal on one and looked into the extensive bio-mechanical engineering and shear amount of testing done on the brace itself by multiple independent companies that aided in development (University of Munich, BWM, and KTM to name a few). They have all the research to back up their findings if you visit their site, as well as some statistics. BOTTOM LINE: I got one because it sounded like a good idea and I liked the findings by the lab testing. A couple weeks later I dismounted the bike, went over the bars in a violent high side, and land squarely on my head. I think I may have broken my neck if I hadn't had the brace on because of the way I landed which was essentially like a lawn dart. Instead of reading opinions, I suggest you look into the actual research done and see for yourself, Leatt's site is a good place to start.

[WIMBER10A]

leatt braces are good but you should also keep in mind the alpinestar

[RidgeRunnerX14]

i bought a Leatt just after seeing my best friend get paralyzed. it wasnt in a dirtbike accident but seeing him the way he is now makes me want to do everything i can to prevent that. I love the Leatt and never ride without it. i really think they would help a lot in a crash. Id rather break a collar bone than damage my spinal chord. Seeing someone like that will really change some decisions that you may make

[norcalfreakshow]

I bought one but decided not to wear it, I need to remember to sell that thing. my own theory is that it takes away from your ability to orient yourself in the air, if I get launched at speed into an awkward position I'd like to be able to whip my head around to gain a better orientation for auguring in. I've had a few crashes where it helped to tuck my head down to complete an inadvertent flip, with the neck brace on I feel like I'm going to "dead sailor" when I get thrown- bmx heads know what I mean. anyways just my own thoughts on 'em.

[pieplatesnductape]

I bought one but decided not to wear it, I need to remember to sell that thing. my own theory is that it takes away from your ability to orient yourself in the air, if I get launched at speed into an awkward position I'd like to be able to whip my head around to gain a better orientation for auguring in. I've had a few crashes where it helped to tuck my head down to complete an inadvertent flip, with the neck brace on I feel like I'm going to "dead sailor" when I get thrown- bmx heads know what I mean. anyways just my own thoughts on 'em.

haha, hey, been doing the dead sailor since 76, it never ends.

[cbrewer450]

I saw a tweet by Chad Reed regarding braces. Someone asked him if he would start wearing one after this last crash of his. His response, "no". It's really up to each individual. A lot of pros don't wear them, a lot do. Research, and see if it's right for you.